As he had mastered the traditional Chinese alphabet, Mr Udeshi was undaunted by a new language challenge. Aside from linguistic curiosity, there was a motivation closer to home. “My maternal great-grandmother’s surname was Weisz and we think that there is possibly some Hungarian Jewish ancestry in my family. I therefore feel personally connected to the Jewish religion and culture.”
His Instagram account, Yiddish Discovery, offers followers not only the opportunity to learn Yiddish words but also their background and context and, where relevant, their links to Hebrew.
“I realised that more than three million of those killed in the Shoah were Yiddish-speakers. So I think the conscious act of learning Yiddish words and something about their socio-historic cultural background would be healing work on some level. I believe the more people who learn Yiddish the better. Keeping it alive and vibrant would be a great mitzvah.”
His account has attracted a global following with fans including Dr Jonathan Kaplan of Sydney, who said it offered “a refreshing approach to the Yiddish language, situating it within the wider world — in this case, British and Austrian culture”.
An American fan is Shoah educator Nika Faust, who enjoys the Instagram posts for their language information and historical context, “stunning photography and delightful commentary”.
When not furthering the cause of Yiddish, Mr Udeshi works in his brother’s clothing business, trying to strengthen the London-Vienna fashion connection.
